RUSTON — Smoke billowed out from a grill surrounded by a series of five tents down the right-field line of J.C. Love Field, slowly drifting onto the playing field and into the dark night sky during Wednesday's game against Arkansas-Little Rock.

In the stands, a paid crowd of more than 1,000 observers watched Louisiana Tech come from behind to secure a 4-2 win, which marked the fourth time on the young season at least 1,200 fans ushered into Pat Patterson Park.

NCAA

Sean Isabella/The New-Star

In four home games, Tech's announced attendance is 5,930, or an average of 1,482 per game. For comparison's sake, Tech totaled 11,676 in 25 home games back in 2014. The Bulldogs are more than halfway to that number through four games.

Additionally, the 2016 season, one that featured 42 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, saw 28,356 fans, but there were just nine games with 1,000-plus crowds.

"That's what we want here. We want it to be a place where people don't want to come play, and when they come play us they know there's going to be a great crowd and they're going to be into it," Burroughs said. "If we can get that going here, it's going to be a special place."

Tech's game with Little Rock was initially scheduled for Tuesday before rain in the forecast pushed it back a day.

Wednesday crowds can be hit or miss. For example, Tech in 2016 announced 2,095 for nationally ranked UL Lafayette and 1,404 for local foe ULM, but a late-season midweek game against Northwestern State drew just 811 and Grambling State came in at 520.

A winning culture, one that has been groomed quickly in a matter of years, is certainly helping.

Tech's last home loss came Apr 23, 2016 against Old Dominion, and the program improved to 14-0 in midweek games dating back to 2014.

The last midweek loss came against a Burroughs-led Northwestern State team on April, 2, 2014. Wednesday's win pushed Tech's nonconference mark to 27-4 since the start of 2015.

The season is still young, and Tech still has 25 more home games to see if this trend sticks. The next five at home are against Arkansas (two) and Wichita State (three). Later in the season, Tech hosts UL Lafayette, McNeese State, Stephen F. Austin, Grambling and ULM.

Louisiana Tech has won 14 straight home games, the longest active streak in the country.(Photo: KEN ROBERTSON/LATech Athletics)